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Tag: Universal

  • ‘Back to the Future’ to return after three decades

    ‘Back to the Future’ to return after three decades

    NEW DELHI: The film Back to the Future will mark its 30th anniversary next May in a manner that will make it sound like new.

     

    Select concert venues will present Robert Zemeckis’s time-jumping blockbuster along with a live orchestra performing Alan Silvestri’s memorable score in sync with the film.

     

    The film made in 1985 showed how a young man is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr Emmett Brown, and must make sure his high-school-age parents unite in order to save his own existence.

     

    The classic was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale and starred Michael J Fox, Christopher Lloyd, and Lea Thompson in lead roles.

     

    The world premiere of the live-music cinematic event—a joint collaboration between Universal, IMG Artists, and the Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency—will be performed by the 21st Century Orchestra in Lucerne, Switzerland in late May.

     

    Alan Silvestri, who worked with Zemeckis on 14 movies, is also writing 15 minutes of new music for the film that will be performed exclusively at these anniversary screenings. 

     

  • ‘Despicable Me 3’ set for June 2017 release

    ‘Despicable Me 3’ set for June 2017 release

    MUMBAI: Universal Pictures has announced dates on three upcoming high-profile projects and it means more Minions in the coming years, along with Grinch; the third installment of its incredibly successful animated franchise Despicable Me 3, and a “newly imagined” version of Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas and an untitled animated comedy from Despicable Me makers Illumination Entertainment.

     

    Universal today announced a 30 June, 2017, date for Despicable Me 3, the follow-up to last year’s first sequel, which has grossed $935.8 mn worldwide and just opened in it last territory, China. The studio also revealed dates for two other Illumination Entertainment toons: a new version of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas (17 November, 2017) and Untitled Illumination Project (21 December, 2016).

  • Warner Bros. is the highest earning Hollywood studio of 2013

    Warner Bros. is the highest earning Hollywood studio of 2013

    MUMBAI: In a record-breaking year, Warner Bros. Pictures emerged as the top-grossing studio for 2013, ranking number one in domestic, international and worldwide market shares. Reportedly, the Studio was at the number one spot in global market share in 2013 with $5.04 billion in global ticket sales, followed by Disney and Universal.

     

    Warner Bros.’s domestic revenue was $1.9 billion, while its overseas haul was $3.14 billion for a total $5.04 billion, up from $4.25 in 2012. While Disney’s domestic revenue reached at $1.72 billion, up 11 percent over 2012 and international revenue was at $3.01 billion; Universal’s revenue clocked at $1.9 billion domestic and $3.14 billion internationally.

     

    Warner Bros. president of Domestic Distribution Dan Fellman; president of International Distribution Veronika Kwan Vandenberg; president of Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Pictures and Sue Kroll made the announcement recently.

     

    Fellman said in a release, “We are extremely proud of all the remarkable benchmarks reached in 2013.  These terrific numbers speak to the diversity of our slate, which has enabled us to deliver great entertainment to a broad range of audiences throughout the year.”

     

    Warner Bros. in the year produced a varied variety of films reaching out to audiences all over the world. Two current hits, still in theatres, are among the Studio’s highest-grossing films for the year: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in partnership with New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), at $659 million worldwide and counting; and Gravity at $663 million to date.

     

    The Summer blockbuster Man of Steel from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, was the Studio’s top-grossing release for the year at $668 million globally. The other movies that were the highlight at Box Office include Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Pacific Rim with $411 million; The Hangover Part III also in partnership with Legendary, at $362 million; The Great Gatsby in partnership with Village Roadshow Pictures, at $351 million; New Line Cinema’s The Conjuring with $318 million; and We’re the Millers also from New Line, at $270 million.

     

    Interestingly, for a Hollywood studio, it is just the second time to have achieved such a business. Earlier, in 2001 Paramount had made the same mark.

  • Universal dates The Mummy reboot for April 2016

    Universal dates The Mummy reboot for April 2016

    MUMBAI: Nearing the end of its best year ever at the domestic box office, Universal announced a slew of release dates today. The recently shaken-up studio has set its reboot of The Mummy for 22 April 2016, and Seventh Son, the Jeff Bridges-Julianne Moore fantasy that Legendary picked up from Warner Bros in August, will bow 6 February 2015, a week before the arrival of Universal’s Fifty Shades Of Grey.

     

    Legendary‘s untitled Michael Mann cyber thriller for 16 January 2015 and Blumhouse’s Jennifer Lopez thriller The Boy Next Door hits theaters on 23 January 2015. The studio also is pushing its video game adaptation Warcraft – the first film that had been dated under the new Universal -Legendary partnership – from 18 December 2015 to March 2016.

  • Fast 7 adds more muscle to its wheels with Djimon Hounsou

    Fast 7 adds more muscle to its wheels with Djimon Hounsou

    UMBAI: Djimon Hounsou is adding his muscle to Universal’s Fast & Furious 7, the studio has announced. He’ll join franchise veterans Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson and Tyrese, along with Kurt Russell and new baddie Jason Statham. The sequel helmed by James Wan is due to hit theaters 11 July. Moritz and Diesel return as producers.

    No plot details have been unveiled yet, except that the film will return to Los Angeles after the previous six films were set in other locations. Co-president of production Jeff Kirschenbaum and creative executive Jay Polidoro will oversee the project. This May’s Fast & Furious 6 was the highest-grossing pic in the series, with $788 million worldwide.

    Hounsou can be seen next in Fox Searchlight’s Baggage Claim and follows that up with a busy 2014 that includes Legendary’s Seventh Son, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and How to Train Your Dragon 2.

  • worldoo.com partners with Universal Picture International for Despicable Me 2

    worldoo.com partners with Universal Picture International for Despicable Me 2

    MUMBAI: This monsoon, Gru‘s faithful Minions will land themselves in another sticky situation and this time not only with the super-villain. worldoo.com has announced their partnership with Universal Picture International to create Despicable Me 2 inspired themes and avataars in the first of its kind ever-evolving online ecosystem for kids featuring the unpredictably hilarious Minions.

    The users of worldoo.com can watch the trailer of Despicable Me 2 in the DOO TV, users can choose Despicable Me 2 avatars and design their homes with specially designed themes based on the animation flick on the Doo Store.

    “We‘re excited to introduce Despicable Me 2 avatars, themes and contest on worldoo.com as it will add a bit of playful flair to any home. As audiences gear up for the release on July 5th, new Despicable Me 2 avatars and themes will make it easy and fun for fans everywhere to use their creativity. It also gives consumers a simple, convenient way to access and enjoy the trailor of the film through India‘s first online ecosystem for Kids,” said worldoo.com head experience & brand Harsh Wardhan Dave.

    Commenting on this partnership, Universal Picture International marketing head Jacinto Fernandes said, “India is a priority market for us so our partnership is a win-win for both Universal and worldoo.com. The alliance expands the distribution of the movie and this association will leverage worldoo.com‘s enviable network of promotional channels of the movie. I am sure that we will enjoy some of the highest game-plays and web traffic in the region coming from India through worldoo.com and we look forward to welcoming even more players to meet the characters of Despicable Me 2 on the worldoo.com which is the innovative way to reach out to kids.”

    worldoo.com got a tremendous response from kids on the digital platform, within the launch of two months the website attracted 19,500 plus kids. worldoo.com has got around 113,000 unique visitors and over 2.5 million page views till now. Kids are loving worldoo.com – as a result, average time spent is close to nine minutes and 11 page views are happening per visit, which is very encouraging for the platform.

  • Despicable Me 2 sets records with $34.3 mn Wednesday opening

    Despicable Me 2 sets records with $34.3 mn Wednesday opening

    MUMBAI: Traditionally, Fourth of July is a slow movie going day since Americans will be outdoors enjoying what should be good weather nationally. The domestic box office numbers do not tell the full story until Friday at the earliest. But there‘s no question that the ‘A‘ cinema score for Illumination Entertainment‘s and Universal‘s Despicable Me 2 (3,957 theaters) will help it gross well over $120 million domestic for the five-day Fourth of July holiday.

    On Wednesday the well-received and well-reviewed toon opened no 1 with $34.3 mn which is “an incredible start” according to a Universal executive. That‘s higher than Monsters University‘s Friday take of $30.5 mn last month. And it‘s setting records – the third highest opening day ever for an animated feature, the 8th highest Wednesday opening ever, and the biggest Wednesday opening of all-time for Universal. 

    The sequel‘s big draws are those lovable Minions who in the original toon were given form and function by Coffin & Renaud to underscore the comedy surrounding Gru‘s madcap mayhem. Reportedly for the first pic, the pair looked at previous peons like Oompa Loompas from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and the Jawas from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.

    This time around, the scribes just wrote as many Minions scenes as they could squeeze into the sequel. And in 2014 the little yellow guys even get their own stand alone Minion movie with Sandra Bullock and Jon Hamm already attached. Meanwhile, the end credits feature the Minion wack-pack‘s 3D demo.

  • Jason Blum plans a sequel to ‘The Purge’ following its BO success

    Jason Blum plans a sequel to ‘The Purge’ following its BO success

    MUMBAI: Following the massive success of the horror-thriller movie The Purge, producer Jason Blum and Universal Studios have announced they are planning a sequel for the movie.

    However, who would helm the director‘s chair for the sequel and the cast remains uncertain.
     
    The Purge was written and directed by James DeMonaco, but his association with the sequel in the same capacity remains unclear as reported by the Hollywood Reporter.
     
    The home invasion horror movie starring Ethan Hawke and Lena Headey with a budget of not over three million dollars, raked in a whopping $36.4 million in its opening weekend grossing to the top over the weekend.
     
    While the movie‘s end is left with a potential for a sequel considering the story which is set in a society where once a year, there‘s a 12-hour period when all crime is allowed and condoned.

  • Universal and Jason Blum to make fantasy horror film Mercy

    Universal and Jason Blum to make fantasy horror film Mercy

    MUMBAI: Universal Pictures and Jason Blum‘s Blumhouse Productions have joined hands for the making of the fantasy-horror tale Mercy, which has been adapted from Stephen King‘s short story Gramma.
    The tale, which King first published in 1984 in Wierdbook magazine and which was then published in his 1985 short story collection Skeleton Key, concerns a mother, played by O‘Connor, with two young sons who come to discover their ailing grandmother, Mercy, is a witch.
    The film, that will star Frances O‘Connor, of British origin will be directed by Peter Cornwell from a script by Matt Greenberg. O‘Connor, had earlier appeared in A.I. Artificial Intelligence and in The Hunter recently.
    Cornwell had earlier directed 2009‘s The Haunting in Connecticut.

  • Universal coaxes Jim Carrey for a role in Kick-Ass 2

    Universal coaxes Jim Carrey for a role in Kick-Ass 2

    MUMBAI: Universal Pictures has courted Jim Carrey to play a role in Kick-Ass 2. The 50-year-old actor will play Colonel Stars, a military-themed superhero who founds Justice Forever, a team consisting of heroes fighting crimes, says a report.
    The actor, who is said to be a fan of the action fantasy film, has however not signed any deal in this regard, the report added.
    Set to be a follow-up to the Matthew Vaughn-directed film, the sequel has Jeff Wadlow as the director. The film will bring back Aaron Johnson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Chloe Moretz and Nicolas Cage.
    Carrey‘s last big screen outing was in Mr Popper‘s Penguins, made last year. He will next be seen in Burt Wonderstone that will also star Steve Carell.